Posted by Captain Marceau Renault (Commanding Officer) in Memory: First Year Summer Vacation

(snip)

“No, it’s fine… comfortable now.” It was definitely form fitting. But it fit well and Marceau didn’t want to ruin the heat trapping effect by wearing one too big. He smiled again, “Merci. I’ll be down in a few more minutes… as long as nothing else tries to eat me.”

~ Marceau

Helena nodded and disappeared out the door. She returned to her room and finished pinning her hair up and getting dressed. She dressed in layers as well and even tossed a few of the hand and toe warmers into her bag. She was down stairs eating when Marceau finished fighting with his clothes, a bowl of the Plokkfiskur was on the table for him. Her dad was a dad, reminding her to be careful and remember that other people could get crazy and irresponsible. Did she have her communicator? He would come get her if something happened. He worried, and so on and so forth.

Torben patted Marceau’s shoulder as he came into the kitchen. “You two watch out for each other okay?” Helena grinned, “We will dad. It’s okay. I’m always careful. If we can survive two months in the wilds of the Black Hills we can survive tonight.” She hugged him anyway though. When they were finished Helena grinned at Marceau, “Ready?”

“Of course, Mr Laursen,” Marceau said, now wondering where they were going. “Is the surprise the icelandic wilderness? Because Helena, two months in the middle US wilderness was enough for me.” He was joking, and his grin would prove it.

Helena chuckled, “It is…kind of,” was her cryptic answer.

She didn’t bundle up, instead tossing gloves, scarves, hats into her bag and her coat over her arm. The temp was decent but it was going to get cold where they were going. She slid into the driver’s seat of the car, and checked to make sure she had the envelope in her bag before they left.

Helena

Marceau followed her example and only bundled up a little more than her. He climbed into the passenger seat, “You drive as well as you fly?”

~ Marceau

Helena glanced over at him with a mock hurt expression. “Marceau, if I wasn’t, do you think I would let you get in the car with me?” She steered the car out towards the main road and they drove for a bit, the sun was still up, it never went down, “We’ll have to go watch the sunset while you’re here. There’s nothing else like it. We’ll be leaving Earth eventually and seeing all kinds of things, but it is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. I don’t think we’ll ever find something to compare, at least not for me.”

She pulled the car into a large open parking area. And it was BUSY. Like surprisingly busy. There were lights and food stalls, and groups of people partying, and lots of music and shuttle busses. “Welcome to the Secret Solstice Festival.” Helena tossed him a few of the warmers and went about slipping some into her own boots and gloves as she slipped them on. She also donned her scarf, hat and her coat.

She reached into her bag and opened the envelope and pulled out two lanyards. “Don’t lose this.” She reached over and slipped it over his head. Hanging from it was a VIP pass. She slipped the other over her own head. “Come on.” She got out of the car and scanned the area, “There!” she headed toward a shuttle bus labelled Langjökull glacier. The man in charge of loading the bus looked at their passes and ushered them to the seats in the very front.

Helena was closed mouthed about what exactly was happening, but she was excited. She had that look when she had a really good hand, or had found out some piece of information or caught onto some fine detail that put the squad in the lead.

The bus pulled up in front of a huge ice field, it glowed a unique shade of blue from inside, and there were lights leading to a tunnel entrance, under the ice. The driver ushered them off and they were met with an escort who led them to a different entrance where they were ushered inside. The room was filled with about 50 people all tuning classical orchestral instruments. Helena leaned over, “This is the prestigious chamber orchestra of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. They will be performing inside the glacier tonight. Their plane broke down and they needed a ride. That’s where I went yesterday.”

A man in a formal tuxedo with tails, holding a baton, the conductor, saw her then, “Helena!” The exclimation got everyone’s attention and they were soon esconced in a large group of people welcoming, hugging, shaking her hand and then his. The conductor, who had a heavy Italian accent, “Ah this must be your cadet Captain…Renault, yes?”

“Signor Aldo Sellitto,” she kissed both his cheeks in greeting. “Yes, this is Cadet Marceau Renault. Thank you so much for passes.” The older man blushed, the attentions of a young woman not lost on him, even it it was only simple politeness. “It is the least we could do after you saved us.” He offered Marceau his hand. “It is a pleasure. Thank you for letting us steal her yesterday.”

Then he led them out to the seats, past the first rows and just off center to the left. “This is the most perfect acoustical point in the whole chamber. These seats are for you both. We do hope you are both enchanted.”

Helena